1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a robotic system for remotely controlling the position of a surgical instrument.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Endoscopes typically contain a lens that is coupled to a visual display by a fiber optic cable. Such a system allows the user to remotely view an image in front of the scope. Endoscopes are commonly used in a surgical procedure known as laparoscopy, which involves inserting the endoscope into the patient through a small incision in the abdomen. The endoscope allows the surgeon to internally view the patient without being in a direct line of sight with the object. The use of an endoscope typically reduces the size of the incision needed to perform a surgical procedure.
Endoscopes are commonly used to assist the surgeon in removing the gall bladder of a patient. Because the surgeon typically requires both hands to remove a gall bladder, the endoscope must be held and operated by a assistant. During the surgical procedure, the surgeon must frequently instruct the assistant to move the endoscope within the patient. Such a method can be time consuming as the surgeon may have to relay a series of instructions until the assistant has positioned the endoscope in the proper location. Additionally, the assistant may be unable to consistently hold the instrument in a fixed position, resulting in a moving image. This is particularly true for surgical procedures that extend over a long period of time.
There is presently a system marketed by Leonard Medical Inc. which mechanically holds an endoscope. The Leonard Medical system is an articulated mechanism which has a plurality of pneumatically powered joints that hold the endoscope in a fixed position. To move the endoscope, the pneumatic powered joints must be initially released into a relaxed condition. The surgeon or assistant then moves the scope and reactivates the pneumatic system. Although the Leonard system holds the endoscope in one position, the system requires the surgeon or assistant to constantly deactivate/activate the pneumatics and manually move the scope. Such a system interrupts the surgery process and increases the time of the surgical procedure. It would be desirable to provide a system that allows the surgeon to directly and efficiently control the movement of an endoscope.